Renew On Line (UK) 35

6. New Wave Project

Wavegen have announced plans for a new grid linked floating wave energy device, to be launched this summer from the new marine energy testing centre to be built in Orkney. Once operational, in a location still to be determined, it will supply enough electricity to power 1400 homes. During a visit to the Isle of Islay Energy Minister Brian Wilson committed £1.67m towards developing the new wave energy device- which will cost over £2.7 m in total.

Wavegen has already successfully developed the 500kW LIMPET, the first grid connected shoreline wave energy generator on Islay. They are now looking to the much larger offshore resource.

Wilson commented, "Wavepower has a huge part to play in our drive for renewable energy and Wavegen is at the frontline of the technology. Wavegen's commitment to this project is commendable and I hope other companies will follow their example. Our oceans are a major potential energy source and can lead to a new industry for the UK in which I am determined that we should be world leaders. A green revolution is taking place in the UK. The market place is now ripe for industry to invest in these exciting technologies and I commit the Government to doing all we can to encourage this process. This development means wave power will be able to contribute to the Government’s target of producing 10% of electricity from renewable energy by 2010’.

* According to the FT (17/9/01) BC Hydro in western Canada recently closed a bidding round for 4MW of wave energy from commercial providers - with the possibility that 100MW of capacity might eventually be installed. The FT also quoted Tom Thorp from AEA Technology as estimating that the current generation of wave devices had a worldwide commercial market of about £ 200bn, and that this could rise to £500bn in the next couple of decades.